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arXiv:2402.04815 · Physical Review Research

Emergence of subharmonics in a microwave driven dissipative Rydberg gas

Zong-Kai Liu, Konghao Sun, Albert Cabot, Federico Carollo, Jun Zhang, Zheng-Yuan Zhang, Lihua Zhang, Bang Liu, Tian-Yu Han, Qing 'an Li, Yu Ma, Han-Chao Chen, Igor Lesanovsky, Dong-Sheng Ding, Bao‐Sen Shi

Published Sep 18, 2024• 3 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Quantum many-body systems near phase transitions respond collectively to externally applied perturbations. We explore this phenomenon in a laser-driven dissipative Rydberg gas that is tuned to a bistable regime. Here two metastable phases coexist, which feature a low and high density of Rydberg atoms, respectively. The ensuing collective dynamics, which we monitor , is characterized by stochastic collective jumps between these two macroscopically distinct many-body phases. We show that the statistics of these jumps can be controlled using a dual-tone microwave field. In particular, we find that the distribution of jump times develops peaks corresponding to subharmonics of the relative microwave detuning. Our study demonstrates the control of collective statistical properties of dissipative quantum many-body systems without the necessity of fine-tuning or of ultracold temperatures. Such robust many-body phenomena may find technological applications in sensing. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

DOI
10.1103/physrevresearch.6.l032069

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Quantum many-body systems near phase transitions respond collectively to externally applied perturbations. We explore this phenomenon in a laser-driven dissipative Rydberg gas that is tuned to a bistable regime. Here two metastable phases coexist, which feature a low and high density of Rydberg atoms, respectively. The ensuing collective dynamics, which we monitor , is characterized by stochastic collective jumps between these two macroscopically distinct many-body phases. We show that the statistics of these jumps can be controlled using a dual-tone microwave field. In particular, we find that the distribution of jump times develops peaks corresponding to subharmonics of the relative microwave detuning. Our study demonstrates the control of collective statistical properties of dissipative quantum many-body systems without the necessity of fine-tuning or of ultracold temperatures. Such robust many-body phenomena may find technological applications in sensing. Published by the American Physical Society 2024
We study the collective response of a group of dissipative Rydberg atoms to a periodic modulation of the Rydberg excitation laser. Focusing on the emergent collective-jump dynamics, where the system stochastically switches between states with distinct Rydberg excitations, we show that the counting statistics of the state switching is qualitatively changed by the periodic drive. The impact is most prominent when the driving frequency is comparable to the emergent collective-jump rate, as the jumps tend to synchronize with the external drive, and their counting statistics exhibits a series of suppressed subharmonics of the driving frequency. These phenomena are manifestations of a novel type of stochastic resonance, where a cooperative collective state switching is facilitated by quantum fluctuations in a many-body open system. Such a collective quantum stochastic resonance further leads to an enhanced signal-to-noise ratio in the power spectrum of the Rydberg excitations, for which the synchronized collective jumps are viewed as the output signal. We confirm the many-body quantum nature of the resonance by devising a cluster model, under which the role of many-body correlations is analyzed by changing the size of the atom clusters. Published by the American Physical Society 2024
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The interactions between Rydberg atoms and microwave fields provide a robust platform for exploring non-equilibrium dynamics, exotic phases, and critical phenomena. In this work, we observe a phase transition from bistability to multistability in strongly interacting Rydberg atoms. By tuning the microwave field intensity, we drive the system through a transition from Z 2 - to Z 3 -symmetry breaking. This process features a hidden critical point where multistable states are intrinsically difficult to measure. By manipulating the initial state of the system, we successfully uncover a hidden multistable state and its dynamical trajectory, allowing us to track the hidden critical point. Furthermore, we observe multiple spectral phase transitions, indicating higher-order multistability induced by split Rydberg sublevels. These findings advance the manipulation of multistability in microwave-driven Rydberg systems and open new avenues for applications in non-equilibrium collective atomic physics.
Dissipative light-matter systems can display emergent collective behavior. Here, we report a Z 2 -symmetry-breaking phase transition in a system of multilevel Rb 87 atoms strongly coupled to a weakly driven two-mode optical cavity. In the symmetry-broken phase, nonergodic dynamics manifests in the emergence of multiple stationary states with disjoint basins of attraction. This feature enables the amplification of a small atomic population imbalance into a characteristic macroscopic cavity transmission signal. Our experiment does not only showcase strongly dissipative atom-cavity systems as platforms for probing nontrivial collective many-body phenomena, but also highlights their potential for hosting technological applications in the context of sensing, density classification, and pattern retrieval dynamics within associative memories. Published by the American Physical Society 2024
Nonequilibrium dynamics are closely related to various fields of research, in which vastly different phases emerge when parameters are changed. However, it is difficult to construct nonequilibrium systems that have sufficiently tunable controllable parameters. Using microwave field coupling induced optical bistability, Rydberg gases exhibit a range of significantly different optical responses. In conjunction with electromagnetically induced transparency, the microwave coupling can create versatile nonequilibrium dynamics. In particular, the microwave coupling of two Rydberg states provides an additional handle for controlling the dynamics. And the microwave-controlled nonequilibrium phase transition has the potential to be applied in microwave field measurement. This study opens a new avenue to exploring bistable dynamics using microwave-coupled Rydberg gases, and developing quantum technological applications.
Discrete time quasicrystals (DTQC) constitute a class of non-equilibrium matter characterized by temporal order without strict periodicity, in contrast to conventional time crystals. Investigating these phenomena is essential for expanding our fundamental understanding of far-from-equilibrium quantum matter and spontaneous symmetry breaking beyond periodic regimes. Here, we experimentally observe a DTQC in a driven-dissipative ensemble of strongly interacting Rydberg atoms, displaying non-equilibrium dynamical response with a different finite Abelian group symmetry Zm×Zn{{\mathbb{Z}}}_{m}\times {{\mathbb{Z}}}_{n}Zm​×Zn​. By applying a quasiperiodic drive using a dual-frequency drive with incommensurate frequencies, we demonstrate that the system exhibits a robust subharmonic response at multiple incommensurate frequencies, signifying the emergence of a DTQC phase. We map the full phase diagram of the system, which includes the DTQC phase, and demonstrate its rigidity against perturbations in both RF field intensity and laser detuning. Moreover, we observe a cyclic group symmetry effect that constrains the construction of Z2×Z3{{\mathbb{Z}}}_{2}\times {{\mathbb{Z}}}_{3}Z2​×Z3​-symmetric DTQC. This work establishes a versatile platform for studying non-equilibrium phases of matter and provides insights into the dynamics of time-translation symmetry breaking in quantum many-body systems. Time-crystal phases have raised both theoretical and experimental interest across various platforms. Here, the authors report the observation of a discrete time-quasicrystal in a driven-dissipative ensemble of interacting Rydberg atoms, advancing the understanding of symmetry breaking in these systems.